The Inaugural 100 Women of Color Gala and Awards - Richmond, Virginia

This gala recognized 100 Women of Color for their impact in leadership, Entrepreneurship, Education, Athletics, Entertainment, Healthcare, Government, Public & Community Service.

Deep gratitude to June Archer Archer for bringing the 100 Women of Color movement to Richmond, VA 💜 and to Coretta Monts for her kind spirit, dedication, and the grace she brought to the mic as MC. 🎤

Throughout the evening, one message rang loud and clear:
💭 Let go of imposter syndrome.
💫 Move beyond siloed work.
🤝 And embrace the collective power of women creating impact — together.

If I’m honest, leading up to the event, I wrestled with some familiar thoughts — the intrusive ones that surface when I think about the visible cracks that sometimes exist within our efforts toward community galvanization. As a Richmond native, I’ve watched our city evolve with incredible leaders, entrepreneurs, and creatives shaping meaningful change. And sometimes, I’ve questioned where I fit in.

Because truthfully…I’m a 40+, social-media-averse 📵, homebody-prone 🏡, first-generation entrepreneur — still finding my rhythm in a landscape that can feel so big and so fast-moving.

But Friday reminded me: Every step of my journey — both personal and professional — has been guided by God’s favor & grit, not titles, not lineage, not affiliations. 🙏🏽

And while the heart work of community engagement & mental health awareness isn’t always picture-perfect or “click-worthy,” it matters deeply. Being in that room as one of the 100 women honored didn’t feel like competition — it felt like an energizing aura of impact, beauty, confidence, and royalty. 👑